Freshman artist’s mural transforms Main Campus, showcases student creativity

March 27, 2026

During spring break, Columbus State University students, led by art major Cora James, transformed an overlooked Main Campus loading dock into a vibrant mural.

Cora Pearl James, a freshman from Albany, Georgia, was selected by CSU Libraries and the Department of Art to transform the blank walls of the Simon Schwob Memorial Library loading dock into a welcoming, community-centered work of art.

“My inspiration was the idea that life needed to be brought into the space,” James said. “I decided that it would be the perfect area to put a giant open book. The concept was that the book opened up into a ‘new life’ to convey a powerful message.”

Only a few months into her studies at Columbus State, James said the opportunity was more than she expected.

“I was absolutely flabbergasted,” she said. “I had only been a student at CSU for a couple of months and was so grateful that this opportunity opened up to me.”

Cora Pearl James (on the ladder) being assisted as she paints her mural.

What began as a student-led design quickly grew into a campus-wide effort. Organized by Dr. Bryan Banks, interim dean of libraries and graduate studies, Thomas Ganzevoort, head of music and art libraries and associate professor of library science, and Hannah Israel, a professor in CSU’s Department of Art, students and employees from both Main and RiverPark campuses came together to bring the mural to life.

“My first week on the job [in fall 2024], I pitched the idea of the mural at the Schwob Memorial Library as a way to tie in the university’s focus on creative endeavors,” Banks said. “The team made sure that students were front and center at every step of the process.”

The vision turned into the largest collaboration between the two departments to date. After participating in a mural design workshop, CSU art students submitted original concepts for consideration, and the team of three faculty members chose James’ design for its strong connection to the university’s creative identity.

“The jury unanimously selected Cora’s design because it perfectly encapsulated the statement we wanted this mural to make,” Ganzevoort said. “Cora is ‘only’ a freshman, yet she demonstrates a maturity and character beyond her years.”

Columbus State’s strategic plan emphasizes that every student will have an experiential learning opportunity to apply classroom learning to real-world experiences. For art students, projects like James’ create ways to do just that. Alongside the mural’s creation, communication senior Hannah London-Janicki (pictured) of Manhattan, Kansas, documented the process, capturing the collaboration and telling the mural’s story behind the scenes.

“Through this documentary, I’m trying to tell a story about creativity and collaboration,” said London-Janicki (pictured, view London-Janicki’s behind-the-scenes footage). “It’s about how one student’s vision can become something bigger than themselves and create a community. There was a day where we started with just a few people painting, and by the end, others who were passing by asked to join in. That moment stuck with me.”

The mural (pictured fully completed) does more than brighten a space. It reflects student creativity, collaboration and ownership, turning an overlooked corner of campus into something that represents the people who work and learn at Columbus State University.

Students like James and London-Janicki demonstrate how the university empowers students to turn their skills and classroom learning into meaningful impact. With support from faculty and staff, students have real opportunities to shape the campus and community around them.

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Averi Morton of the Office of Strategic Communication + Marketing submitted this article for publication.

Media contact: Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director of Strategic Communication + Marketing, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu